Enhancing Care Through a Virtual Canadian Community of Practice for Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events

The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly transformed cancer treatment outcomes. However, these therapies can induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may affect any organ system, sometimes requiring specialized expertise. As ICIs are increasingly used across vario...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Khashayar Esfahani, John Walker, Kevin Bambury, Eoin O’Carroll, Stephanie Snow
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Current Oncology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1718-7729/32/3/140
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The advent of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has significantly transformed cancer treatment outcomes. However, these therapies can induce immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that may affect any organ system, sometimes requiring specialized expertise. As ICIs are increasingly used across various tumor types and in earlier treatment settings, not all practitioners have the necessary support network to handle complex irAEs. To address this gap, we collaborated with ONCOassist, a leading app for oncology professionals, to establish the first virtual Canadian Community of Practice (CoP) focused on irAEs. The CoP facilitates continuous learning and improves patient care among Canadian clinicians treating patients with immunotherapy by providing a platform for knowledge exchange and peer-to-peer support. This article outlines the development and growth of the CoP on irAEs, highlighting both successes and challenges. As of May 2024, over a year since its inception, the CoP on irAEs has attracted almost 130 Canadian oncology healthcare professionals, and peer-to-peer interactions and engagement continue to increase. To ensure its long-term sustainability, we plan to evolve and adapt the CoP to meet the needs of the oncology community and address clinical challenges associated with new therapies.
ISSN:1198-0052
1718-7729